How to get filename and directory of selected files in filebrowser (Python)?

Question

I'm trying to get the filename and directory of the currently selected files in the file browser. When I hover over the directory with the cursor I see "FileSelectParams.directory", and this is what I find in the docs: https://docs.blender.org/api/current/bpy.types.FileSelectParams.html

Says bpy.types.FileSelectParams.filename is "the active file in the file browser"

So here's what I tried:

bl_info = {
    "name": "Image Putter Simple",
    "blender": (2, 90, 0),
    "category": "Object",
}
import bpy
def main(context):
    filename = bpy.types.FileSelectParams.filename
    directory = bpy.types.FileSelectParams.directory
    # Do things with the file
class ImagePutterSimple(bpy.types.Operator):
    """Image Putter Simple"""
    bl_idname = "object.browser_image_putter_simple"
    bl_label = "Image Putter Simple"
def execute(self, context):
    main(context)
    return {'FINISHED'}



def register():
    bpy.utils.register_class(ImagePutterSimple)
def unregister():
    bpy.utils.unregister_class(ImagePutterSimple)
if name == "main":
    register()

I get the error message:

Python: Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/johne/.config/blender/2.93/scripts/addons/image_putter_simple.py", line 36, in execute
    main(context)
  File "/home/johne/.config/blender/2.93/scripts/addons/image_putter_simple.py", line 14, in main
    filename = bpy.types.FileSelectParams.filename
AttributeError: type object 'FileSelectParams' has no attribute 'filename'
location: <unknown location>:-1

What's going on? And if this doesn't work, is there another way to do what I'm trying to?

Answer 1

Have a look into the Operator File Import template (Text Editor > Templates > Python).

The ImportHelper class comes with a filepath member which holds the actual filepath. You can get the folder using python's os or pathlib module:

import bpy
ImportHelper is a helper class, defines filename and
invoke() function which calls the file selector.
from bpy_extras.io_utils import ImportHelper
from bpy.props import StringProperty
from bpy.types import Operator
import os
class ImportSomeData(Operator, ImportHelper):
    """This appears in the tooltip of the operator and in the generated docs"""
    bl_idname = "import_test.some_data"  # important since its how bpy.ops.import_test.some_data is constructed
    bl_label = "Import Some Data"
# ImportHelper mixin class uses this
filename_ext = ".txt"

filter_glob: StringProperty(
    default="*.txt",
    options={'HIDDEN'},
    maxlen=255,  # Max internal buffer length, longer would be clamped.)

def execute(self, context):
    print ("Filepath:", self.filepath)
    print ("Folder name:", os.path.dirname(self.filepath))
    return {'FINISHED'}


def register():
    bpy.utils.register_class(ImportSomeData)
def unregister():
    bpy.utils.unregister_class(ImportSomeData)
if name == "main":
    register()
# test call
bpy.ops.import_test.some_data('INVOKE_DEFAULT')

Console Output:

Filepath: /Users/<user>/Desktop/test.txt
Folder name: /Users/<user>/Desktop

---

For multiple files, you'd have to declare a CollectionProperty to store the actual selection coming from the File Browser:

import bpy
ImportHelper is a helper class, defines filename and
invoke() function which calls the file selector.
from bpy_extras.io_utils import ImportHelper
from bpy.props import StringProperty, BoolProperty, EnumProperty, CollectionProperty
from bpy.types import Operator, PropertyGroup
import os
class ImportSomeData(Operator, ImportHelper):
    """This appears in the tooltip of the operator and in the generated docs"""
    bl_idname = "import_test.some_data"  # important since its how bpy.ops.import_test.some_data is constructed
    bl_label = "Import Some Data"
# ImportHelper mixin class uses this
filename_ext = ".txt"

filter_glob: StringProperty(
    default="*.txt",
    options={'HIDDEN'},
    maxlen=255,  # Max internal buffer length, longer would be clamped.
)

# Property to store all files in selection
files: CollectionProperty(type=PropertyGroup)

def execute(self, context):
    directory = os.path.dirname(self.filepath)
    print ("Folder name:", os.path.dirname(self.filepath))
    for c, i in enumerate(self.files, start=1):
        print ("File {}".format(c), os.path.join(directory, i.name))
    return {'FINISHED'}

Console Output:

Folder name: /Users/<user>/Desktop
File 1 /Users/<user>/Desktop/a.txt
File 2 /Users/<user>/Desktop/b.txt
File 3 /Users/<user>/Desktop/c.txt
...

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